Gold!

Passenger Lists and news of Maritime Nations are selected to give a sense of the development of San Francisco and world commerce during the 1800s. News and images from international harbors are included to illustrate mass world migration during 19th century.

The Project was started in 1998 to honor sea captains, including the project director's great-great-grandfather James H. Blethen, a Master Mariner based in San Francisco during the 1800s.

Along with thousands of other commanders, Captain Blethen's ships were crowded with venturists along with every conceivable item newcomers to California would need or desire.

D. A. Levy, founder of The Maritime Heritage Project, was invited to join the San Francisco Branch of The Naval Order of the United States, (NOUS), which has a history dating from 1890. Membership in NOUS includes a wide range of individuals, many with highly distinguished career paths associated with various military branches.

Levy was invited because of military history throughout The Maritime Heritage Project. However, family members include several individuals who served in various campaigns, including command of a Civil War Hospital Ship, soldiers in WWII, a marine tank commander in Korea, and Army ground troops in Vietnam.

Sources: As noted on entries and through research centers including National Archives, San Bruno, California; San Francisco Main Library History Collection; Maritime Library, San Francisco, California, Oakland Museum, Oakland California; various Maritime Museums around the world.

Please inform us if you link from your site. Please do NOT link from your site unless your site specifically relates to immigration in the 1800s, family history, maritime history, international seaports, and/or California history.